


Long Live the Queen

by 3DMG Shenanigans (Lightningpelt)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Coup d'état, Crossdressing, Disguise, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Impersonation, coup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-03 23:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightningpelt/pseuds/3DMG%20Shenanigans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Prompt Fill] </p><p>When Historia goes missing, Erwin tries to salvage the plan by dressing Armin in drag to pose as the puppet queen. Things don't turn out quite like he planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Live the Queen

**Author's Note:**

> I promised something not-so-serious to combat the SnK Chapter 58/TLatC Chapter 11 feels, didn't I? Well, this is that no-so-serious thing. :P 
> 
> Here's the original prompt: http://snkkink.dreamwidth.org/8414.html?thread=8209886#cmt8209886

Erwin Smith had never thought he would see the day when he would be taking orders from a boy, 25 centimeters shorter and nearly 40 kilos lighter than him, _in drag_.

He tried, as he hit a knee in front of the thrown and its haughty inhabitant, to remember how in the Walls this had even happened.

It had all started- yes, it had all started with the Reiss girl. He had told Levi not to bully her, but his shortsighted and violent subordinate had insisted that she needed to be broken before she would make a decent pawn. He hadn't meant any harm, to the girl or to the plan, but that was when everything had begun to unravel. Historia had turned to Eren, and Eren to Armin, and Armin to Mikasa, and Mikasa to Jean, and Jean to Sasha, and Sasha to Connie. And if the members of the 104th Training Devision were anything, they were loyal to one another, almost cultishly so. That was another thing, Erwin acknowledged bitterly, that he had underestimated.

The senior members of the Survey Corps only found out later Armin and Jean had ridden all the way to Shiganshina one night, sought out the trio of Shifters camped out there, and made a deal with Bertholdt and Reiner. Traitors though they were, they were still members of the 104th, and the deal that Armin offered them wasn't a bad one. Within two days Ymir had returned to the Walls, under guise of a change of heart and a crafty escape. The tactical advantage to having another Shifter in the ranks was tantalizing and he, Erwin remembered irritatedly, had swallowed the bait.

Within the week, Ymir and the girl Historia Reiss were gone, vanished into the countryside and probably never to be heard from again (Erwin had suspected that the 104th knew how to get in touch with them, but those kids would never crack). The plan was about to fall apart when- and Erwin later realized that the idea had been planted in his head at some point -the brilliant Commander Smith had come up with the idea of dressing the boy Armin up as Historia and proceeding as if uninterrupted. No one would ever notice the difference, he reasoned, all the while badly underestimating the mental gap between the two small blondes.

Armin had protested at first, the crafty little bastard, objecting to the indignity of being stuffed into a dress and propped up to serve as a puppet ki- rather, puppet _queen_. But he had given in after some cajoling, resigned to "playing whatever part he must for the betterment of humanity." And so the coup had gone forward, with Armin Arlert in Historia Reiss' place.

The plan had unfolded seamlessly, in Erwin's misguided opinion. As they worked their way farther into Sina, all sorts of secrets came out- the manipulation of people's memories, the origin of the titans, and exactly how to win the war. Erwin Smith was ecstatic- well, stoically ecstatic. And then Ar- ahem, _Historia Reiss_ was installed as Ki- sorry, _Queen_. The boy didn't seem to object to the role he was to play, and the children of the 104th cheered the loudest at "Historia's" coronation. Erwin was so optimistic about the future, and so proud of his young subordinates.

Then things had started to go wrong, at least according to Erwin Smith's vision.

Armin Arlert had a very few, small conditions in return for his cooperation, and Erwin had seen fit to grant them. One was that the 104th would stay with him in Sina, in the Royal Castle; Erwin had been a bit wary, but decided not to rip the tight-knit group apart in the face of all they had been through. The second was that Armin could appoint the "puppets" to play each role within the royal court. Th-they would still be Erwin's to control, he had assured his Commander, but he would... he w-would feel... a bit more... safe... i-if he was surrounded by people of h-his choice... And Erwin found himself agreeing to that meek, pitiful request as well.

Armin had, of course, appointed the 104th in most of the important positions. He hadn't granted Erwin, or any senior members of the Survey Corps, a proper title, "to avoid suspicion," he had said. Erwin had applauded his forethought and allowed him to proceed.

Armin had said that Erwin and the Survey Corps should focus on the eradication of the titans first, and the ruling of the humans second; Erwin had agreed, and left him with the proverbial keys to the kingdom while he led his men off on one last expedition. He had anticipated, when he returned exhausted but triumphant, that everything would be waiting just as he had left it, ready for him to reshape human civilization to his liking.

He was wrong.

The Survey Corps returned to find themselves literally locked out of Wall Rose. After it became obvious that they weren't going to be allowed back in through the gate, they reluctantly abandoned their horses and climbed over the Wall with their Gear. Erwin, at that point, was worried for the safety of their precious blonde queen, assuming the worst had happened in his absence. But the reality was, as he was soon to realize, he really had no idea what the worst case scenario _was_.

He and a patrol of senior Survey Corps members were immediately apprehended upon arriving in Sina, and then dragged into the thrown room of Castle Reiss. Erwin fully expected to find that Armin had been discovered, beheaded and replaced; he had already forced himself to grieve the innocent boy's death and move past it, and was hoping that some of the poor kids had escaped execution when he was forced to his knees before the throne.

"Ah, Commander Smith. Welcome back."

Erwin's head snapped up; he caught the barest glimpse of- yes, it was his young subordinate in drag, lounging on the oversized throne. Then his head was forced back down by the strange man Military Policeman garb.

"Thank you, officers, but that will be sufficient. I would like to speak to Commander Smith in private. Take the others to the dungeon while we commence... negotiations."

Erwin fell forward slightly as he was released, and then scrambled to his feet to face Armin Arlert. Levi was fighting like a demon to get free of the three Military Policemen who were struggling to hold him, screeching questions and curses, but eventually they dragged him and the rest of Erwin's party away. Armin watched, fiddling with his long blonde wig.

"I think I'll grow my own hair out. This thing is as irritating as anything."

"Talk, Arlert!" Erwin barked, his eyes flicking back and forth. On one side of the throne stood Eren and Mikasa; on the other stood one Annie Leonheart and the two fugitives, Reiner and Bertholdt.

"Surprised?" the blonde asked, and then leaned back. "Let me explain- I never had the slightest intention of being your puppet, Commander. While you and your band of merry corpsmen were dealing with the titans, I sought an alliance with the Shifter Village- as Historia Reiss, of course -and completed the takeover. We hold all the power, Commander, the 104th Training Division. I don't mean to be rude, but I'll need you to swear your allegiance to me about now."

Erwin's head was spinning. He had known that Armin Arlert was intelligent beyond any other boy of his years, and that he did have a devious streak; he had even expected some spirited input and an argument or two about how the kingdom was to be run, perhaps an underhanded political move or two behind his back. But he had never thought that the boy would try to take over completely. However, he admitted reluctantly, there was precious little he could do about it; the coup was complete, and Armin and his comrades had come away with all the power.

"Believe me, we have nothing against you, Sir," Armin continued, sounding respectful despite himself. "I just want things to be in their proper order before we proceed, you see."

"What does this mean for us?" Erwin finally asked, his back straight and his shoulders squared. "The Survey Corps?"

"If you wish to continuing operating as such, even with the titans eradicated, you'll have the full backing of the Monarchy," Armin said easily, crossing his legs. "If you- or some of you -decide to assume civilian life, you're welcome to take up residence here in Sina at your convince. The Crown will certainly look after any Corpsmen, former or current." When Erwin stared at him in confusion, he laughed slightly. "The last thing we wish any of you is harm or unhappiness, Commander. Whatever you wish to pursue, you'll have the blessing of the Crown. The only thing you'll really have to get used to is the fact that you aren't the one in charge, and you never will be."

It took another moment to sink in, and then Erwin began to chuckle softly. He shook his head, but found suddenly that he couldn't resent the boy; he felt only pride.

"I underestimated you."

Armin smiled. "Yes. You underestimated _us_."

"Very well, _Queen Historia_ ," Erwin said, feeling a flicker of satisfaction as Armin's smile twitched. "Long live the Queen."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this was at least somewhat amusing; it was awfully fun to write. Please leave comments and/or kudos if you enjoyed~


End file.
